“Now with many important and exciting events coming up it is yet to be seen, what this ranking is worth!”

After the Olympiad, the season of a team chess player has continued, and soon I found myself on the way to Spanish Team Championship in Linares followed by the European Club Cup in Bilbao...

Anish on Olympiad 2014 with game analyses.

“Congrats to all the winners, now it's time to recover and get some energy for future events!”

Before getting down to chess business, I would like to express my condolences to the families and friends of the two players, Kurt Meier from Seychelles and Alisher Anrakulov from Uzbekistan...

Anish on Stavanger 2014 with game analyses.

“Overall I can't be satisfied with my play, nor with my result, although I certainly was lucky more often than I was not.”

Of course the turning point was my collapse against Karjakin, which was important for me, but even more for Karjakin, who surprisingly went on to win the remaining games- Congratulations to him!

Anish on Candidate Tournament 2014 with game analyses.

"I will be very curious to see how he will do in another match with Carlsen, but for now let's congratulate the Indian tiger!"

While myself I was mostly busy training and observing chess, the greatest of my colleagues have spent the last month battling in Khanty-Mansyisk for the right to challenge the new World Champion, Magnus Carlsen...

Anish on TATA Steel Chess 2014 with his game analyses.

"I was satisfied with the chess that I played and left the tournament with a good aftertaste."

This time it was especially important for me to play good chess for once and so I was looking forward to the tournament like never before...

Anish on World Mind Games with the game analyses including a brief wrap up of 2013.

''I wish you all Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!''

Most of my tournaments went without any major ups and downs and considering that I finished my school this year, it felt as if this year served a merely transitional role...

Anish on the World Team Championship with game analyses.

"…the 6th place is obviously not such a bad result, although at some point we had hopes for more."

Our team started very badly, losing our first two matches- to China and to Azerbaijan. In fact, throughout the whole tournament the team result was representing my play...

Anish' reflection after Anand-Carlsen's match.

''It does seem though that Magnus Carlsen can breathe new life into the royal game…''

Whenever I tuned it to watch the press-conference Anand was always underestimating his position...

Anish on European Club Cup 2013 with his game analysis.

"The Dutch team had a lot of fun at the event, on and off the board…"

Dutch team is known for its remarkable instability throughout the tournament, yet even more remarkable stability when it comes to the final result...

Anish on European Club Cup 2013 with his game analysis.

''The role of the favourite proved to be quite a heavy burden…''

...chess is far more complicated than simple logic and one way or the other our first three boards were unfortunate enough to lose...

Anish on his performance on Grand Prix Paris 2013 with the game annotations

"While my tale is not the most fun, neither the most inspirational, such tournaments certainly help one to reflect, analyze and rebound."

This unfortunate loss placed me at the bottom of the tournament table and as the fate had it, I never got any higher than that...

Anish on Spanish league "Division de Honor" with the game annotations

"…there was not that much hope that we would catch them, or at least that was the feeling I had…"

On the top boards as well, our rating advantage is quite minimal, as myself, for example, had to play with my good friend Parimarjan Negi...

Anish' article on World Cup 2013 with his game annotations

''…there can certainly be no doubt that in our match Julio Granda was the deserved winner.''

My first real high level knockout experience was the not-yet finished World Cup in Tromso...

Anish' article on GrandPrix 2013 Beijing with video analyses

''I stayed truthful to my tournament strategy……''

I have had no wins in my first two events of the GP series (not too many losses fortunately, but still), something that definitely bothered me and ...

Anish on last three rounds of Bundesliga with his game annotations

''Those who saw the game from move 21 have assumed I played a brilliant game, but unfortunately we can't erase the first half of the scoresheet..''

This weekend I had a chance to play in the last three rounds of Bundesliga...

Anish is looking back to 2012...

''Wishing everyone best of luck in the Year 2013!''

...no breaks or time to look back at all, I will still try to briefly review my past chess year, which had lots of ups and downs and fascinating events....

Anish' article on Spanish Club Championship 2012

''My games were pretty simple and straightforward- the way I like them to be…''

I was looking forward to the tournament for the various reasons, as not only was I eager to show a good result (or at least just play chess!), but also due to my gastronomical preferences...

Anish' article on World Chess Olympiad 2012

''I was happy that my teammates made me feel pretty useless...''

For the next time, for me, it's maybe an idea to come a bit earlier to the tournament and perhaps not lose to all the scary names.

Anish' article on Biel Chess Tournament 2012

''…..why on earth I was included in there….''

Being the 45th edition, the organizers collected a remarkable line-up of players, leaving me to wonder happily, why on earth I was included in there, next to stars like Carlsen, Morozevich, Nakamura, Wang Hao, Bacrot and later also Bologan...

Anish' impression on a tête-à-tête with Garry Kasparov

''I am very glad, and grateful to Garry Kimovich…''

On the whole, I am very glad, and grateful to Garry Kimovich for his kind willingness to arrange a slot in his hectic schedule for this tête-à-tête.

Anish' article on TATA-2012 with the comments of his games

''…though this time there was no Anand to tell me that it was a lucky number…''

Running ahead, I can say I haven't entirely accomplished the mission as planned, but the valuable experience has definitely been added to my small but growing luggage.

Anish on Reggio Emilia with his game annotations

''I do hope that the good old saying ''the way you meet the year is the way you spend it'' will turn out to be more than just a saying.''

''...strictly speaking I thought the half a point that we were playing for didn't affect the standing as I was very confident about Morozevich winning his game against Vitiugov.''

Anish on Spanish Team Championship with his game annotation

''I am slowly becoming an experienced team player…''

After all my uncompromising Spanish adventures ended with a modest +1, the ELO win was the modest -1 point, so everything was balanced again...

Anish on Unive Crown Group 2011 with his annotations

''…the theory of QGD progresses, unlike that of derivatives and tangent lines…''

With some school exams and tests here and there (and there, and there…), the big plans for the preparation had to be reconsidered a little...

Anish on Dutch Championship 2011 with his annotations

''…it was a pleasant experience and I hope there is more to come…''

Just few days ago I managed to take back my Dutch title, that I already won back then in 2009. This year, though, the event was certainly stronger, but then again, so was I (or at least that's what I was hoping for). But let's start from the start.

Anish on Sigeman tournament with his annotation

''The cozy closing ceremony was a warm end to the great tournament and the next day I was heading back to school…''

I had an opportunity to play there only once before, the last year, when I was facing five Scandinavian players. This time there were again six participants, but just three of them were Scandinavian...

Anish on French Championship with his annotation

''…the tournament was rather short for me, yet I was happy to play some interesting and nice games…''

This year again, me together with my experienced Dutch colleague Loek Van Wely were invited to play the French League for our team- Echiquier Châlonnais.

Anish on first stage of the matches with his light annotations of some selected gamesCandidates Matches 2011

...I must say that after I saw the main- classical part of the match, it became clear to me that if Grischuk continues with the same tough defense and if fortune will keep on choosing him (and believe me, fortune is the main thing here), there isn't much Levon can possibly do...

Anish, briefly on his upcoming events

Time to get back to the board...

After devoting some little, but essential attention to my school, for the last two weeks, I will in few days get back to the board...

with Victor Korchnoi

Anish on Amber tournament

Goodbye Monaco and thanks for the lesson!

This March, just few days ago, I was lucky enough to be a part of a remarkable chess event in Monaco. The tournament that contains the blindfold and rapid events, established itself as unarguably the best chess tournament in the world.

Anish on TATA Steel Tournament with analysis of his games

"The first round, however, quickly put me back to Earth..."

My chess year has yet again begun with Wijk aan Zee. It is slowly becoming a tradition for me and I must say I start liking this tradition more and more...
Before the tournament I obviously had a specific training for the actual event, but in fact, since I was playing quite a lot the whole year before the event and a lot of things were left unused, I arrived to the "Seaside Village" more than ready to meet "The Big Guys". Anxiousness is maybe a more suitable word even.

Bundesliga (round 8 and 9, 2011)

"...but chess is like karma and next day luck was not on my side at all..."

Just a week after Wijk aan Zee, which has been a definite success for me (the details and games commented by me- later!), I had to play in the Bundesliga. I was keen to get back to the game once again, just before fully jumping into my school for a looong (maybe even few full weeks!!) period of time.

"... women are actually clever enough to realize that there are much more important things in life rather than chess..."

At the end of last year, chess world saw yet another World Championship. This time those were women, that fighting for the World title. It was yet another knockout system tournament, like the previous one, which was won by Alexandra Kosteniuk who managed to beat Hou Yifan in the final.